EPO, testosterone, blood transfusions, this is the doping “cocktail” that Lance Armstrong admitted to having taken. Very dangerous, this doping also affects the amateur community.
EPO, testosterone, and blood transfusions. Lance Armstrong, cyclist 7 times winner of the Tour de France, admitted yesterday to have taken these doping products throughout his professional career. Through these confessions, everyone in cycling is singled out. This new scandal in the world of sport, however, reveals another problem, much more serious. That of the very high dangerousness of the products used by the American sportsman. Moreover, this professional doping is only the visible face of the iceberg. The amateur world and young athletes would also be affected. An expanding phenomenon that comments Bruno Sesboué, sports doctor in Caen.
THE’erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone naturally secreted by the kidneys. We now know how to synthesize it and turn it into a hormone similar to that of humans. The purpose of this product is to have more red blood cells in the blood and thus more oxygen for possible performance improvement. Developed to treat anemia, it has been hijacked by top athletes.
The risk is ending up with too many red blood cells. This can make the blood “congested” and create a blood clot in the vessels which could interrupt blood flow. Stroke and heart attack are to be feared. EPO is a product used in disciplines with a strong enduring component (marathon, cross-country skiing, etc.)
Blood doping consists of making blood transfusions before a competition either with your own blood taken several weeks before (autologous transfusion), or with compatible blood from a third party (homologous transfusion). This technique also increases the number of red blood cells in the blood. In the past, athletes would take trips to the mountains where there is less oxygen, which has the effect of stimulating the production of red blood cells.
The risk for health is the same as for EPO with, in addition, the risk of infection, linked to any transfusion or any infusion. More red blood cells means less breathlessness for athletes.
Testosterone is a steroid hormone belonging to the androgen group and which stimulates muscle protein synthesis. This product is used to increase muscle mass. It is still widely used by weightlifters and sprinters.
The risk. It can lead to many problems, heart attacks, hair problems, aggressiveness, but also sexual disorders. In the long term, it can also cause liver cancer.
Growth hormone has anabolic effects like androgens. It is therefore taken for the same reason as testosterone, to further increase muscle mass.
The risks are therefore almost identical to anabolics, with the added risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is a very harmful product.
Cortisone and corticosteroids are used to reduce pain. These are anti-inflammatory products that alleviate tendon pain during severe strain on the muscles.
The risk, weaken the tendons and then lead to tendon ruptures, which are very damaging for athletes.
Amateur doping. Cycling is more affected by doping cases than other disciplines. First, cycling is one of the most controlled sports in the professional world. It is also one of the most physically demanding disciplines.
But taking doping products does not only affect professional cyclists. Amateur sport, increasingly dominated by the cult of performance, is no longer immune to doping. For reasons of cost, young people more readily use products like testosterone. But they run the same risks as their elders. This is what Dr Bruno Sesboué, sports doctor in Caen and president of the national association of doping prevention antennas, notes.
Listen to Bruno Sesboué, sports doctor in Caen: “These are the same risks, since they are the same products. Androgens, we find a lot of them and at all levels …
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